My trip to a diner tonight :(

[Delarage]

So....I went to the Wilmington Diner tonight with my bi-racial foster child (12 years old). I've been there before and enjoyed it. Tonight got off to a bad start and got worse---Faux News was on the big TV which, unfortunately, I was facing. I couldn't hear it--thank God--but the scrolling text said things like "Latest Left-Wing Effort Flops" etc. etc.

So I ignored that. Then an older white couple walked in and sat behind us. I overheard them say something about "Elon Musk" and Tesla. Optimistically, I hoped they were pointing out how evil he is--so I tuned into their conversation as best I could. What I heard were the most insane right-wing Q-Anon-type nonsense I have heard in public in a while. Highlights: FEMA used up so much of their resources housing "illegals" that there was no money left to properly help the good people of North Carolina. Now people want help for the leftists in California. Then something about some right-wing state trying to impeach a "leftist," who they felt should actually also be deported. Then how the department of education is wasteful and should be next on the chopping block.

I didn't confront them, but I did say out loud "OMG--I think there are real-life Nazis near us!" before we left. They looked like a normal elderly couple--I am shocked at the level of gullibility of "those people"

[John1956PA]

1. Yes. They are brainwashed by RW/Putin media.

A seventy-five-year-old woman I know is brainwashed by Bill O'Reilly's afternoon podcast. It's the result of drinking the proverbial Kool-Aid.

[newdeal2]

8. I totally notice the subtle Russian influence in a lot of the RW misinformation

It’s quite shocking too that people just take what’s posted on social media at face value.

Thanks Zuck and Elon for removing fact checking!

[Karasu]

13. "Brainwashed" is too kind at this point, as it resolves them of any responsibility. Anyone who still

chooses to buy into that kind of propaganda after everything that's happened over the last decade is certifiable and beyond saving.

[Duppers]

18. +100

Thank you.

[woodsprite]

27. I posted on my FB page that

Too many people drank the Kool-aid and believed it was Communion wine.

[niyad]

39. Good one!!

[yorkster]

2. Sorry you had to deal with that.

[Diamond_Dog]

3. Unbelievable

[blm]

4. Everything the GOP hacks are saying about NC is a lie.

I am one of the hurricane victims in WNC and FEMA showed up to help us a week after we filed and 6 weeks before our insurance company did.

[3auld6phart]

5. Thanks

For staying cool. Being nearly deaf and and losing my vision, thhat really would have got my Irish up up.

[JoseBalow]

6. Lady next to me at chemo this week was unironically reading 'Triggered' by Don Jr.

Fingers crossed!

[Meowmee]

7. Horrible to have to listen to that 😾

I’m not sure what else to say except probably change diners 😹🤗

[berkerly6240]

9. Calling an elderly couple Nazis in public based on something you "overheard" will convert no one to our side..

appealing to empathy, trust and compassion will win these older folks over.

[niyad]

32. Of course it will!!! Clearly, that has been a demonstrably effective

technique since 2015.

[JanMichael]

35. I'm sure that a round of Kumbaya will do it.

Then a spoonful of sugar helps cure the crackers.

But who has the time and a handy guitar?

Maybe calling them what they are or are quickly becoming won't work but outside of a lobotomy they aren't changing.

It may move someone the right way, who overhears and who is a-political, though.

[womanofthehills]

43. Totally agree - no need to be mean to anyone

I had a 40ish male friend of a friend tell me I was the only Dem he could ever talk too. You can talk to people without putting them down. I don’t get why you would even want to listen to a conversation you don’t agree with.

I think that’s not a good example for a kid. They often get humiliated by parents doing that kind of stuff esp to older people.

[LeftInTX]

44. That couple is beyond hope.

I probably wouldn't have said anything, since they wouldn't "get it"

[3Hotdogs]

10. Still. Ya gotta agree about their statement that the Department of Education is

wasteful.

They clearly ain't learned nothing by going to school. They would be successful if they sued whatever school they attended for malpractice.

Plaintiffs' Attorney: "Your honor, my clients are clearly the dumbest fucks, east of the Mississippi...

[NJCher]

11. that's funny

But I still think you might want to add the sarcasm emoji!

[Abolishinist]

14. Why? I got it right off the bat.

[orleans]

29. thanks for the laugh (at one in the morning). rather unexpected :) lol nt

[3Hotdogs]

36. I know. I just re-read it and broke out laughing.

This may be one of my best D.U. posts.

[orleans]

42. i think it would be DUZY worthy!

i don't know if you were around for those, but they were a (weekly?) collection of the best/funny posts

https://eu-west-3.democraticunderground.com/1002678322

[3Hotdogs]

46. I remember DUZY's. I've been around since the beginning of D.U. ---

Different names, as time went on.

DUZY. Originally named after the Duesenberg Model J (automobile).

I've only ever seen one which is at the Bennington, VT. museum.

[orleans]

48. well then, glad to see you're still around (whoever you were! LOL)

and thanks for the history lesson. i didn't know it was named after a car.
i just thought it was from the expression: that's a duzy or doosey!

[Beringia]

41. Funny

[blue_jay]

12. People are still being fed misinfo and buying it sadly, I know a few myself. Need to find a way

to break in to the misinformation stream. Not even sure where to start with that but I found this a nice info graphic reference with a breakdown of the government budget. Sorry if it's been posted before. It's interactive and gives a good idea of where money comes in from and goes out to. I am guessing the FEMA stuff is somewhere in the little line on the top right for safety spending. I think having a decent working knowledge of actual facts is a good place to start. https://usafacts.org/articles/this-chart-tells-you-everything-you-want-to-know-about-government-spending/

[calimary]

21. Hey, blue_jay! THANKS for this link!

I’m gonna keep it open for reference. LOTS of good data, and well presented. Graphics are always helpful!

[niyad]

40. Thank you for the linked article.

[Baron2024]

15. The Banality Of Evil

Very similar to Germany in the 30s. Common people buying into fascist propaganda. Terrible.

[Bluethroughu]

16. I'm sorry this is unfortunately been like this for awhile.

It's not easy to actually enjoy an evening in public anymore. We order food, once in a while and eat in the car. Very sick and toxic the American culture is.

I blame the last 40 years of stagnant wages, growing inequality, and racism. Trump is the symptom of the disease that gives us people like Eloonatic.

[moniss]

17. I found myself the other day

briefly chatting with a guy who out of the blue told me he felt bad about not voting in the last election and "booting out our crazy woman Senator who arranged protection for people running sex rings with kidnapped children." It was pretty jarring to just come out of the blue like that and I didn't even respond but just rolled on to say I had to go. The crazy crap these people believe is stunning.

[Baron2024]

19. Yep

The things that these people believe. They are fed on a diet of crazy conspiracy theories. Overnight radio is all about aliens, sasquatch, and the paranormal. These people are impervious to reason. We are surrounded by a sea of idiots.

[moniss]

20. Yes indeed and we used to all pretty much understand

that Art Bell type programming was just fantasy and entertainment. Now to a large degree it is gospel to these morons.

[Baron2024]

22. Right

I used to listen to that show just for laughs when I could not sleep. Now it just depresses me. The ability to think critically is not a part of this dumb american culture. These people want to defund and destroy the federal government and the whole research sector, as well as the universities. They are not just dumb, but they are actively hostile to anything that has to do with intelligence and expertise. It is the destruction of American Civilization. It is hard to believe that we are living through this history. And it all could have been avoided if Harris had only won. Anyway, I appreciate your comments. Hang in there.

[Skittles]

25. I guarantee you they are in church every Sunday morning

yes indeed

[Demobrat]

26. Sorry your night was ruined.

And sorry your daughter has to grow up in this awful climate.
I think they just enjoy it. They know people are suffering who are not them, so it’s high times at their house. The rotten underbelly of American culture. walking around in the form of Ma and Pa Kettle.

[CentralMass]

28. ...

?si=MvSIBv19b6KESxNf

[orleans]

30. in spite of those assholes, i hope you had a nice dinner and a nice time with your foster kid

--maybe a nice conversation and a laugh or two

i'm wondering what i would have done in your position (other than getting up and leaving if i hadn't ordered yet) and i probably would have asked if we could sit somewhere else or just moved across the restaurant so i wouldn't have to hear that shit.

i've also asked a few places to please change the channel when fox is on. they did change the channel without a problem. but that was in a chicago suburb, not north carolina.

[Delarage]

37. I thought about that

They came in late to our meal---and we're in the bluest part of blue Delaware; I just figured we'd tough it out and be leaving soon. If it's on again the next time I go there, I'll ask for a different channel. If they say no, I'll never go back.

[usonian]

31. Please print up some FAFO cards and drop them off as needed.

https://www.democraticunderground.com/100219770873

[no_hypocrisy]

33. They were likely just parroting what they heard, and

have NO IDEA what they were talking about. Like a sizable percentage of Americans.

[Baitball Blogger]

34. How old were they?

Like, I shouldn't have to worry about it much longer, old?

[Delarage]

38. Mid to late 70's

I'm sure they'll be around for the next election, if we have one

[dreamland]

45. They believe in the propogated lies.

I couldn't believe that a co-worker voted for that idiot. She said the same thing that FEMA is out of money. And yet, her mother is benefiting off of medicare and other subsidies that wont run out of money. I was so disillusioned that told her i can't talk with her anymore. In general, a good person but so misaligned. There's no convincing them. They are brainwashed.

[maxsolomon]

47. TV-b-gone.

https://www.tvbgone.com/

It's a start.